Built-In Cabinet Trim (Alcove)

[Charlie Gummer]

Fellow Creekers,

As many of you have experienced (at least according to the numerous threads I turned up searching) a built-in entertainment center magically appeared on my endless list of things to do.

Our living room has an alcove that housed, at one time, a fireplace. The previous owners had removed the fireplace and had 'built' an entertainment center. There was lots of construction lumber, lots of nails and an electric fireplace. Suffice it to say that that mess is no longer present in the space.

My current plan is to build in a set of base cabinets and hang a set of upper cabinets in the space. The middle section will be left open as we are planning to wall-mount our TV using one of the articulated arm style mounts. The TV is only a few inches narrower than the width of the alcove (wall to wall) so that precludes any construction on the sides.

I've drawn up the cabinets; they will be poplar-faced plywood (or melamine) carcasses with poplar face-frames. The doors will incorporate glass panes so that we can still have remote control functionality while keeping little hands away from home theater components. The upper cabinets will be lighted and will most likely display my wife's China. Everything will be painted white.

I currently have trim molding framing the alcove, the same trim that I used around the doors in the rest of the upper floor. My question pertains to how the sides of the cabinet should interface with the trim. Is it common to have the trim overlap the sides of the cabinets? My original plan was to bring the front face of the face-frames flush with the trim molding and caulk and paint any gaps that occur.

Is there a general rule for this type of construction? Any input in the design process would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Charlie

[Peter Quinn]

I've seen it done as a "cased opening" wrapped in the standard door casing for the house, either inset or overlay doors are possible. The cabinet can be the "jamb" material, or play that role so to speak, or you could put in an actual jamb and make the cabinet a bit smaller, then add a small molding to make the transition between the two. That approach is sort of like a replacement window. It all sort of gets weird in that space between the uppers and lowers though. I'm having trouble envisioning how the sides return to the back wall? Got a pic? You could set the cabe back 1" or so and scribe both sides to the existing walls or jambs so the casing continues to work. Or perhaps you can make it floor to ceiling with 1/2" sides if you have that much clearance?

[Charlie Gummer]

Thanks for the reply Peter. Here's the current configuration, er gaping hole:

IMG_4422.jpg

a 1/2" frame on either side of the TV may certainly be possible. When you say the cabinet can be the 'jamb' material I'm envisioning the trim overlapping the sides of the cabinet by some amount. I think it may look odd having the trim cover the entirety of the face-frame (up to the opening for the door), I'm wondering if it would look better to only overlap something like 1/2" or so.

I've seen it done as a "cased opening" wrapped in the standard door casing for the house, either inset or overlay doors are possible. The cabinet can be the "jamb" material, or play that role so to speak, or you could put in an actual jamb and make the cabinet a bit smaller, then add a small molding to make the transition between the two. That approach is sort of like a replacement window. It all sort of gets weird in that space between the uppers and lowers though. I'm having trouble envisioning how the sides return to the back wall? Got a pic? You could set the cabe back 1" or so and scribe both sides to the existing walls or jambs so the casing continues to work. Or perhaps you can make it floor to ceiling with 1/2" sides if you have that much clearance?

[Todd Burch]

You are constrained, trim-wise, at the top of the hole, so I would suggest staying with a small trim, as you have, or going big and all the way to the ceiling. I would go big, with a crown too, as that would allow wider trim on the sides as well.

I would suggest 1/4" ply of whatever material you are using for the cabinets, to fill the sides and back with all the same color. Lose the white. Lose the white trim too.

That's a deep hole to put a flat screen all the way to the back, so you could actually "bring the back forward" where the TV will reside, yet have full depth base cabinets and shallower upper cabinets that came out, at the front, as much as the base cabinets. All wiring would be in the dead space and hidden.

I did a double face-frame on the built-in in my wall hole. The hole is bordered on the sides and top face frame (and top crown), then filler material (1/4" ply) just inside the hole, as the cabinetry is set back a bit, then the filler material meets the face frame of the cabinetry. Here's a pic.

[Charlie Gummer]

Todd, excellent info, thank you! We wanted to keep the trim small originally to also potentially go with crown in the entirety of the upper floor.

Let me see if I understand your picture correctly. You have an outer face-frame that runs the perimeter of the hole attached to the wall. You then have the small filler you mention running in the hole to meet the face-frame of the cabinet?

Edit: the boss is pretty strongly set on white as she feels anything else is going to be too dark with the floors and the rest of the furniture in the room.

[Todd Burch]

Yes Charlie - that is correct.

Well then.... it sounds like white will be just dandy then!

[Charlie Gummer]

Todd, do you have any additional pictures of your project that you wouldn't mind sharing? The more I think about it the more I like the transition you created.

Thanks!

[Todd Burch]

Here is the original thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ly-done-w-PICS

Here are some more pics. If there are any other close-ups you want, tell me quick - I'm selling the house!

[Todd Burch]

Another thought. If you are going with crown around the whole room, and it will be white, you can easily build a wide top "rail" on your outer frame, and have it go all the way to the ceiling, and then, when your crown is installed, wrap the crown around the frame. It would define the space well. Here's an example: (not to scale) (Actually, I would build the top rail out thicker than I show)